A new zone, that is. The USDA has released an updated hardiness map showing how the climate has shifted. We've gone up a half a zone. From 5a to 5b... although the zone line is only a few miles away we're now near 5a and not 4b which we used to be. It appears that most places have shifted. If you click here you'll get to an interactive map with a slide bar to show the differences in old and new. Pretty dramatic and scary!
Woe to those naysayers about climate change. Even the USDA has gotten on board. And this map is just represents the shift from 1990 to 2012. Eek. Maybe I'll have to revise my planting schedule... or maybe not.
Very neat to see the interactive map. Thanks for linking it up.
ReplyDeleteI heard about this on Public Radio and had to see it for myself. Up in Northern IN we jumped to 5b as well, but (urban) KY is the real shift winner(?): a jump to 7a! This means I can plant varieties that normally die in this portion of the US (and citrus could, in theory, survive most of TN). Weird and I hear you on the naysayers!
ReplyDeleteI checked out the map and we stayed the same. We are 6B. Our spring usually starts mid March. Can open the pool in April most years. I like it being warmer. However, the past 3 years our winters were worse than usual. This year so far it's been really mild. ...debbie
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